Kimbell Art Museum--page 2 (of two pages)

Louis Kahn
1969-72

Views of the park-side facade

Only one-third of the park-side facade is generally visible in the photographs below since the other side of this facade was in restoration. In addition, the reflecting pools are not filled with water since the scene is still winter--mid-February.

Kahn's works are often praised for his "craftsman's sense of how materials are used and how they are assembled." As Carter Wiseman explains, "One need only look at the way the arches and rain gutters are fitted to the columns at the Kimbell Art Museum . . . to understand how tactile was Kahn's grasp of his art" (198).

The interior of the Kimbell is highly praised, largely for the quality of light. Although the light is indirect, it is for the most part natural light, although it is sometimes described as being quasi-mystical. Skylights run down the center tops of the vaults, admitting natural light. At the same time, metal reflectors underneath bounce the light back to the ceilings and diffuse the light. The ends of the vaults have a thin arc of glass between the wall and ceiling creating this unusual light. The importance of light in the Kimbell is underscored by the title Light is the Theme, a book published by the museum in 1975 and revised and updated in 2002.